Bringing home the holiday tree by bike

By: Ashley Hopkins

Back in my “pre-cargo bike, bike-and-trailer days,” I dreamed of earning my Hauled the Tree Home by Bike patch one day. A few months after adding an Xtracycle EdgeRunner longtail cargo bike to my stable, I had my chance. Come early December, I rolled up to my local charity tree stand with my bike and daughter on board and walked between the rows of fragrant firs looking for the perfect tree. The stand workers gathered ‘round, grinning ear to ear in disbelief, as I loaded our tree and my 7-year-old up and rolled off into the afternoon traffic.

The ride home was full of smiling motorists, friendly honks and excited hoots and hollers coming from rolled down windows. Riding home with our annual tree has become one of our favorite new traditions!

You don’t need to be a superhero of a cyclist to earn your tree-haulin’ wings this season. With a longtail cargo bike or bike and trailer, there are numerous ways to cart your conifer home! Take a peek at the options, fuel up with some cocoa or nog and get ready for a ride full of holiday cheer.

What you’ll need:

  • some lash straps like CinchStraps , luggage straps or plain ol’ cinch straps found in the camping gear aisle
  • a plastic or paper bag to put on the cut end of the tree to prevent sap from getting on your bike
  • a blanket to cover your deck or help keep needles from bugging passengers
  • Optional: an extra rear blinky light, reflective triangle or red bandanna to attach to the farthest back part of the tree

Tree By Bike Method 1: Horizontal-ish on the deck

In a rush? No passengers on board? This method is simple and gets the job done. Wrap the cut end of the trunk in a plastic or paper bag to keep sticky sap off your ride. Secure the tree to the deck or Hooptie using lash straps. Since the tree is centered, your ride will feel super balanced

Tree By Bike Method 2: Put the trunk in a side bag

This method is pictured at the beginning of this article. This is a handy means for tree transport when you have one passenger on back. Wrap the cut end in a plastic or thick paper bag. Angle the top of the tree up and back on the bike. If you have a Hooptie or handrails, having the tree be on the inside of the Hooptie will keep it stable and from flopping to the side. Use the blanket to help keep your passenger comfortable. Since more weight will be on one side of the bike, your ride will handle a little differently but you’ll get the hang of it real quick.

Tree By Bike Method 3: Horizontal in your bag sling

This method is great for ease and depending on your tree size, is super for hauling two passengers on back. Use the straps on your sling bags to secure the tree into the slings. It’s also never a bad idea to secure it with an additional strap to the bike frame. Check to see that your heel has enough clearance from the trunk before heading out. Being able to balance the bike while loading is key so be sure you have a good center kickstand or another adult to help load up. If passengers plan to ride on back, drape a blanket over the tree to keep them from getting poked from needles. As with Method 2, more weight will be on one side of the bike so your ride will handle a little differently but you’ll get the hang of it real quick.

Tree By Bike Method 4: With a hitched trailer

One of my favorite cargo biking accessories is a dusty old Schwinn trailer we got way back in the day before I knew cargo bikes were even a thing. I love hitching this trailer up to our EdgeRunner and boosting our cargo hauling game. This is a great way to get your tree home if you have passengers on back or bags and deck are already full of cargo. You can find more details on how to attach a trailer to an Xtracycle here. Be sure to secure the tree to your trailer using some lash straps and make sure your tree is far enough back so it won’t hit your bike on turns.

Lots of folks choose to celebrate or not celebrate the winter season holidays for various secular and religious reasons and we respect them all. If having a live cut tree is part of your winter holiday tradition, awesome! We hope this article is helpfu🙂